CAIR ASKS N.C. JUDGES TO ALLOW USE OF QURAN IN OATHS

Exclusive use of Bible called ‘state endorsement of religion’

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/21/05) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called on judges meeting this week in North Carolina to allow use of the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, when administering oaths.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the current exclusive use of the Bible may be an inappropriate state endorsement of religion.

CAIR issued its call after Guilford County judges said they would not allow use of Qurans in their courtrooms. “An oath on the Quran is not a lawful oath under our law,” said W. Douglas Albright, Guilford’s Senior Resident Superior Court judge. State law only refers to swearing an oath by putting a hand on the “Holy Scriptures.” Those who do not wish to take an oath using the Bible may instead make an “affirmation.”

A preliminary opinion last week by North Carolina’s Administrative Office of the Courts said that state law allows people to be sworn in using a Quran rather than a Bible.

“By stating that only one book qualifies as ‘Holy Scriptures,’ the court may be making an inappropriate endorsement of a single set of religious beliefs,” said CAIR Legal Director Arsalan Iftikhar. “Eliminating the opportunity to swear an oath on one’s own holy text may also have the effect of diminishing the credibility of that person’s testimony.”

On the personal, I say hooray! But since this whole 10 Command.... thing, I fear that you won"t even have the Bible, Qur’an, or any other revered text in the courtroom either out of spite from fund… Christians. Or from ACLU zealots who are like termites, just a’nibblin away at our good, strong, building wood. And leaving sawdust.